Rikku vs Rengo Fett, Two unlikely friends
by Concordion
Summary: Rengo finally captures his prey, Rikku. But does he really want to turn her over to the on person who hates her the most, Darth Drakan?


Rikku vs. Rengo Fett

by Dan Douston

Adapted from "A Jedi's Destiny" by Nadia Rodriguez

            And finally, he saw her, in the shadow of her fighter, recording a message to Mon Mothma at Coruscant. Rengo crouched and immediately shifted into the darkness of the alley he was in. As he drew his right flank blaster pistol, he slowly moved closer to Rikku. In mid-recording of her message, Rikku sensed something behind her. Nervousness began to arise, and her instincts said that someone was hunting her. After a brief pause, she regained her calm and ended her message.

            Fett got closer and closer to his target. Rikku did not move at all, though she did finish her recording. He was just 10 meters away, still in the safety of the alleyway shadow. Rikku felt a stronger presence, becoming even more near. Rengo raised his blaster, and began to pull the trigger. Rikku's reflexes kicked in and she grabbed her lightsaber from the holster on her waist. She ignited it, revealing a meter-long blade of shimmering blue. Rengo fired and Rikku, with a short twirl of her saber, deflected the bolt. 

            Knowing his cover was blown, Rengo turned on his jetpack and took a leap forward toward the Jedi, all the while firing his blaster. Rikku continued to swing and twirl her lightsaber and deflected each shot. Fett zipped by her and landed on the far side of the hangar. Rikku charged the bounty hunter, still using the force to anticipate his blaster shots. She got close, blocking one shot, another, then another. Rengo backed up slowly as she ran. Rikku finally got inside his firing arc and sliced off the nose of the blaster pistol. Fett ducked, narrowly avoiding the Jedi's second swing at him. He sidestepped, and, as she took yet another lunge, started up his jetpack and soared straight backward. 

            _This guy's impressive, Rikku thought to herself. The bounty hunter shut his jets and grounded himself, grabbing his back-mounted blaster rifle. He tried to get the girl into his blaster's sights, but Rikku was too quick. Using her powers, she ran again toward him, continually changing her approach. Rengo fired randomly into Rikku's direction hoping to hit something. She raised her saber and swung, but no one was there when she rebounded. She looked about frantically to find Fett. All she saw was a few drops of blood where he had been. Then she looked up, and saw him in the air, grasping his left arm._

            He hovered there a while, then lowered himself to the ground a ways off from Rikku. He finally decided to speak, "Drakan's warnings are not without merit, I see." His armor gave a shine for a moment, then the clouds once again hid the sun.

            "How do you know of Drakan?" Rikku asked, now relaxed from her battle stance.

            "He hired me to take out a girl of your description. He told me you would be quite a challenge, he didn't tell me you would be a Jedi." Rengo said in a surprised tone. "But then I do remember a certain aspiring Jedi years ago, by the name of Rikku…" his thoughts were slowly coming together, "Strange, you look just like her…" There was a brief pause. Rengo finally got it. "You… you're Rikku! I should've known it was you. I remember all too well that scar on your eye. Too bad Drakan couldn't finish the job himself."

            "It sure did take you long enough, Rengo," she said with a smirk. 

            "Well, at least you remember your worst enemy." His T-shaped visor glimmered. "But, enough of this. I've got a contract with Drakan, and I'd like to have it over with. That guy's insane, but he's a generous payer." Rengo grabbed his rifle.

            Rikku force jumped dodging his first shot. She landed a few feet away from Fett. He turned around to find her saber blade cutting his jetpack off. Rengo managed to get between her and her saber, and so he grabbed her and lobbed her away. Rikku fell to the ground, rolling as she slid. Her saber dislodged from her hand and bounced away. Rengo immediately decided to take advantage, and drew his spring-loaded whipcord. He fired and almost had it, but Rikku again displayed her mastery of the Force, pulling the weapon back into her hand. 

            Fett had one more cord loaded into his gauntlet, and decided to try to snare Rikku with it. He raised his arm and let it loose. The cord went around and around the Jedi, tying her up. Her saber was still usable, and that's when Rengo realized he had failed. Rikku cut herself loose, and ran again toward Fett. He fired frantically, knowing he would perish if she got too close. He shot blast after blast, miss after miss, but finally one made it passed her saber. It struck her shoulder, with blood spewing out from her back. She screamed in pain, and fell to her knees. She grasped her shoulder, and, looking at the blood on her hand could only be thankful it wasn't her arm that was wielding her lightsaber. 

            Rengo ceased, "It's hopeless, Rikku. You were never able to beat me those years ago. Face it, you're finished."

            "Not… anymore…" She winced and then stood. She gave Rengo a glare, and raised her saber. Empowered by the Force, she instantly moved herself from the floor to behind Fett. She grabbed his neck with her battered, yet still usable arm, and placed her saber just below his chin under his helmet. Rengo became still, though ever so calm. 

            Rikku smiled. "You have no idea how much I've accomplished in the last three years." A light whimper of pain came from her as she strengthened her grip. "I've become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." She could sense him smiling under his helmet, then heard a chuckle coming from inside that menacing headpiece.

            Rengo then spoke in a voice so chilling it filled Rikku with fear, "Heh, it won't be enough." No sooner after he said that Rikku felt a sharp pain in her sides. She fell to the ground dropping her extinguished saber with a blank expression in her eyes. Rengo turned around, closing flaps on his elbows. She looked up at him, and he stared right back. A tear streamed down her face as she collapsed to the ground.

            "I warned you…" Rengo said as he took the tranquilizers out of her rib cage. Just to be sure, he checked her pulse. _Good, she's still alive he thought. Rikku lay motionless on the ground, only a slight breath could be heard from her as Rengo picked her up on his shoulder. Slave I was in a hangar on the other side of the city, and Rengo did not want to carry her that far. The fact dawned on him that her starfighter was docked right in front of him throughout this whole fight. He bopped his head with the heel of his hand as he realized his stupidity. _

            Rengo walked over to the ship that looked very much like the Jedi starfighters of the Old Republic. Angular, wedge shaped, and a small bubble cockpit in the aft quadrant of the ship. The fighter wasn't too modified, it still bore the sign of the Army of the Republic on the port wing, a symbol that eventually became the insignia for the Galactic Empire. He was surprised that Rikku didn't remove it, but he couldn't ask her now, she was outcold. 

            He climbed up a latter that led to the cockpit. Upon reaching it, he grabbed Rikku off his shoulder and placed her in the sideseat. He then climbed in and fired up the ship's engines. The cockpit closed over them, and the ship began to hover off the ground. He pulled back on the control stick and the vessels nose pointed up slightly. Putting the throttle at half, he flew the fighter over and through the towering spires of the Corellian Capitol. He saw his ship in a hangar in the distance, and called for a landing.

            As the ship rode closer to the hangar bay, he heard a sound from Rikku. He turned his head sharply to face her. Had she awoken? Did the tranquilizers wear off? No, she was just muttering to herself in her own little dream. _What things that race through your mind, __Rikku, Rengo thought to himself. Suddenly, he felt a sense of… no it couldn't be caring. They only knew hatred and desperation toward each other. But, those many years ago, all they really did know was each other. Did he really feel something? If he did, it wouldn't matter now. He was on his way to turn her over to the one person that hated her most. If he wanted to help her, he would never be able to, since Drakan would send all his sinister agents to find him. He took off his helmet, gave a heavy sigh and spoke, "Rikku, you're probably not going to hear this, or even remember this whole deal, but you are quite a..." Another sigh came from him as he looked into her sleep filled eyes. "You're quite a friend, if you can even call it that, what we had then." He chuckled and continued, "It's just too bad it's over. I'm gonna miss the challenge…"_

            CorSec officials cleared Rengo's request to land on platform 7-2-5, only two away from his ship. He engaged the repulsors on Rikku's fighter and landed the craft. He popped open the dome cockpit, put his helmet back on, and took Rikku out with him. Two men greeted him as he stepped off the ladder and he could see they clearly were tied to Darth Drakan. They both had arm bands with the Empire's symbol. Rengo motioned them to Slave I. They gave a short bow and walked off; Rengo followed them after putting Rikku back on his shoulder. He looked at her still face and shook his head. _All of it's over… he said to himself. _

            The two men stopped at the ramp of Slave I. The newly red and black painted Fire-spray Mandalorian ship opened its doors and Rengo walked in. The ship was horizontally landed, so he had to lay back in his seat as if lying in bed. He strapped Rikku in the passenger seat on his left. Rengo fired up the ship's fusion drives and it took flight. It changed from horizontal to vertical mode as the stabilizers kicked in. He pushed a button or two on his control panel and an image of Drakan appeared on his front display. 

            "I think you'll be pleased, master. I have the girl you requested." Rengo said.

            Drakan gave a wide smile. His right eye twitched as he spoke, "Excellent, Mr. Fett. Prepare her for the next phase of the plan."

            Rengo began to feel conflicted, but he had to go with this madman. "Yes master. I'll be arriving at Diagona in two days."

            "I look forward to seeing your catch." He smiled again and laughed lightly to himself. "Drakan out."

            Rengo turned off the Comm system. _Well, it's done. Nothing more I am responsible for, he thought. But he couldn't shake his conflicting feelings. He gave another glance to the paralyzed Jedi. "Someday I bet we'll meet again. There's always gonna be a challenge, and you're always gonna be the one to give it to me." With that, his spirits rose, and continued on his way through deep space to Diagona. _


End file.
